Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery in a Staffordshire bull terrier

Abstract

An asymptomatic 17-month-old, 18.5-kg, male Staffordshire bull terrier was referred due to a heart murmur. Examination revealed a grade 3/6 left apical systolic and right apical 3/6 heart murmur. Echocardiography showed volume overload of the left ventricle and mild systolic dysfunction with a left-right flow over the interventricular septal region. Cardiac gated computed tomography revealed anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery, an extensive network of collateral blood vessels connected the right and left coronary arteries, with bronchial and left intercostal arteries also connected to the network of collateral blood vessels, markedly enlarged right and left coronary arteries and left coronary sinus. With varied presentation, coronary anomalies are difficult to recognise and classify and to the best of our knowledge this is the first case of anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery diagnosis in the dog.

Keywords: Congenital heart disease; Coronary artery anomaly; Echocardiogram-gated contrast-computed tomography; Echocardiography.